Over the years, numerous stories – some more true than others – have been told about Capela Hill, which overlooks the town of Râmnicu Vâlcea, ranging from the sanctuaries of the Roman colonists to the underground tunnels that the ‘1’ are said to hide. In ancient times, the site was entirely covered in trees, but it has since been cleared, giving way first to dovecotes and then to sheepfolds 2.
Capela Hill, once a symbol of the town of Râmnicu Vâlcea, is a hill situated right in the centre of the town 3. The town is situated in the hilly region of the Southern Carpathians, at an average altitude of 250 m, on the right bank of the River Olt, at its confluence with the River Olănești 4. Geographically, it lies on the right bank of the river, in the north-eastern part of Oltenia, at an altitude of 240–350 m. It is bordered by the following localities: to the east, the communes of Budești and Blidari; to the north, the communes of Bujoreni and Dăești; to the west, the commune of Vlădești and the town of Ocnele Mari; and to the south, the town of Băbeni. Its geographical location also determines its temperature, which is almost always warm, with a temperate continental climate 5.
The name Râmnic originally derives from the Old Slavic word ‘râba’, which in Romanian means ‘fish’. Thus, ‘râmnic’ or ‘râbnic’ refers to a pond created on a river for fish farming. To avoid any confusion, the chancellery of Wallachia used the name ‘Râmnic de pe Olt’ for the town in Oltenia, and ‘Râmnicu Sărat’ for the one in Muntenia. The current name of the town, Râmnicu Vâlcea, began to be used in the modern era as ‘6’.
The term ‘Vâlcea’ is of Latin origin. It derives from the Latin ‘vallicella’ and means ‘narrow valley’. In fact, the Roman armies of Emperor Trajan (98–117) passed through here, along the valley formerly known as Alutus and now called the Olt. Thus, Vâlcea is interpreted as meaning ‘the place in the valley’ or the start of the ‘Olt Valley’ region, the sub-Carpathian town being situated near the foot of the6 Mountains.
The town of Râmnicu Vâlcea stretches eastwards from Capela Hill, beyond the course of the River Olt, extending southwards past its confluence with the River Olănești; it is bordered to the south by Troian Hill and to the south-west by Petrișor Hill. To the north, the boundary of the municipality of Râmnicu-Vâlcea is marked by Cetățuia Hill (7).
Capela Hill, which stands at a height of 400 metres 8, is said to be steeped in legends and mysteries, as well as lesser-known stories 9. It was originally called Stânelor Hill, because there used to be a multitude of sheepfolds here, stretching from Boul de Piatră towards Cetățuia 10. The entire sub-Carpathian ridge of Râmnic was a stopover for transhumance until the 19th century, numbering no fewer than 10 sheepfolds 11.
The town, bathed by the waters of the ancient Alutus, is an old settlement emerging from the mists of time. Its millennia-old history is attested by the archaeological excavations found in the Valea Răii and Stolniceni neighbourhoods. Here, the Romans built durable forts or castra, the remains of which bear witness to the settlement’s continuity over the centuries 5.
The first documented mention of the town dates from 20 May 1388, when Mircea the Elder confirmed to Cozia Monastery its ownership in Râmnic of a mill, donated by Dan I, and of a vineyard, which had been bestowed as a gift by Jupan Budu, with the consent of Radu I. The first attestation of it as a town is from 4 September 1389, when Mircea the Elder mentioned in a charter that he was in “the town of his dominion… called Râmnic”. In the town centre lie the ruins of Mircea the Elder’s Royal Court, tangible reminders of the great voivode’s presence in this settlement; it was here that he signed the document establishing Vâlcea County on 8 January 1392, making it the first county to be documented. All that remains of the ancient and magnificent citadel today are the walls surrounding the central park, named ‘Mircea the Elder’ in honour of Voivode6.
At the top of the hill stands the ‘Stone Ox’, in a place of the same name, which is said to be a fragment of a Roman statue representing the god Apis and to have belonged to a Roman sanctuary situated right here12. Petre Drăgoiescu describes it in his book, Râmnicul Vâlcii, as “a faint likeness of a sacred animal”13. It is a well-known fact that at Boul de Piatră there was an underground prison, to which Turkish prisoners were brought from 1877 onwards. Here they were kept crammed together and tortured in a cavity so narrow that there was a risk of it collapsing. What is certain is that they were killed or, as the official story goes, died in Râmnic as a result of the plague or cholera. For this reason, the cave was sealed up and lime was poured over the bodies (Ziarul Crainicul)14. It appears that they were struck down by a strange plague, which remains unknown to this day, and were buried on the hill 2.
Here, the landscape offers a different view, this time towards the northern part of the town, at the centre of which lies the River Olt and the dam built across its course; this hydroelectric project was the first to be constructed on the entire River Olt 1.
In 1504, Prince Radu the Great (1495–1508) established the Diocese of Râmnic–Noul Severin in Râmnic, which was the second diocese in Wallachia, the successor and continuation of the Metropolis of Severin 7. However, the first documentary record of this Diocese, bearing its full title, dates from the reign of Mihnea Turcitul (1577–1583; 1585–1591), specifically 29 December 1590. It is also mentioned by Archdeacon Paul of Aleppo (1627–1667) in his work: Travel Journal through Moldavia and Wallachia.
The new Bishop’s Palace, built in 1639, was destroyed by a fire caused during the Turkish invasion of 1737. The same thing happened again in 1847. The current building was constructed between 1850 and 1856, and the interior paintings were created by Gheorghe Tattarescu, bearing the influence of Italian realism. The new building was erected through the efforts of the Bishop of Vâlcea, Saint Calinic, and was named the Saint Nicholas Episcopal Cathedral5.
A symbol of the town is Cetățuia, a small fort built in the 14th or 15th century to guard the Oltenian residence of the princes – the customary seat of the Bani – and the new bishopric. It was here, on 2 January 1529, that Prince Radu of Afumați (1522–1529)6 was assassinated by the boyars Neagoe and Drăgan.
Another fact, which not many people are aware of, is that there was a fire watchtower on Capela Hill. Fire watchtowers were designed to house a firefighter who, from a height, would keep watch over the town to see if a fire had broken out anywhere within its boundaries. If he spotted flames in a corner of the town, he would alert the nearest fire brigade, who would then set off immediately for the scene of the fire. The exact date on which the watchtower on Capela Hill was built is unknown, but it first appears in the General Album of Romania15. Professor I. Simionescu notes in his work Towns of Romania with 80 Illustrations: ‘Climbing up to the wooden watchtower, so rickety that you’d expect it to be swept away by the very first whirlwind of a fierce storm, you take in the whole expanse of houses—sometimes densely packed, sometimes scattered—all the way to the glistening strip of the River Olt’16”. The author of the article in Cotidianul mentions that by the early 1950s, all that remained of the entire structure were the ruins of a room without a door or windows 17.
At the foot of the Hill, towards the end of the 14th century, the oldest church was built, most likely by Voivode Dan I (1383–1386), the brother of Mircea the Elder 18. The town’s seal dates from 1505; as the historian Aurelian Sacerdoțeanu notes, it is “one of the oldest town seals in Wallachia”5.
Between 1576 and 1586, a second church was built on the site of the first by Bishop Mihail II. This was rebuilt by Voivode Matei Basarab (1632–1634), but was burnt down and demolished by the Turks during their war with the Austrians (1736–1737)18.
The present church was founded by Saint Calinic of Cernica, Bishop of Râmnic between 1850 and 1856. It was designed and built by Saint Calinic’s apprentices, who also built the churches of the Holy Monasteries of Cernica, Pasărea and Frăsinei, which are very similar to one another. Of these apprentice architects, the most notable was the master builder Costache. Barbu Dimitrie Știrbei, Prince of Wallachia6, also contributed financially to its construction.
In 1705, in Râmnicu Vâlcea, Saint Antim Ivireanul, one of the most renowned printers of the time, was consecrated as bishop on the advice and with the consent of the most enlightened and learned Prince Constantin Brâncoveanu. Following this appointment, a rich cultural life flourished in Râmnic during the 18th century. The scholar Saint Antim Ivireanul established a printing press here, where several works in the Romanian language were printed. The first books to be printed were Tomul bucuriei and Antologhionul6.
The name ‘Dealul Capela’ (Chapel Hill) derives from a small church built by the Austrians, which stood, until the 1960s, right at the summit, where the ‘19’ telecommunications relay station is located today. It is known that the Austrians, who occupied Oltenia between 1718 and 1739 5, during that period built a chapel, which is said to have been connected to Bărăția via an underground tunnel 20, but to date the tunnel in question has not been discovered 2. The Austrians also dug a cave 21.
Furthermore, until the mid-19th century, there were cart tracks along the ridges of Capela Hill, along which timber required by the town was transported all the way from Priba. There were probably also earthworks, embankments and earthen ramparts, constructed using stone brought from the bed of the River Olt 2. The route to Capela Hill begins on the street between Mircea cel Bătrân National College and the Archdiocese of Râmnic, a street evocatively named ‘Aleea Castanilor’1.
The old steps still remain, winding their way up through a forest of pine and oak, as large-scale reforestation of the hill began in 1898 2. It can also be reached by car from the Archdiocese area, via Aleea Castanilor and past the Mircea cel Bătrân National College 22.
Also in the town of Râmnicu Vâlcea is Zăvoi Park, situated on the road leading out towards Băile Olănești. It is one of the oldest parks in the country and is recognised as the place where Romania’s national anthem, ‘Deșteaptă-te, române!’7 (Awaken, Romanian!), composed by Anton Pann (1790–1854), to the lyrics of the poem Un răsunet by Andrei Mureșanu (1816–1863), at the ceremony organised to honour the victory of the revolution and consecrate the banners of national freedom. Years later, following the Revolution of December 1989, ‘Awaken, Romanians!’ became Romania’s national anthem 5.
At the foot of Capela Hill stands the Statue of Independence, a symbol of the town. The statue was unveiled in May 1915 10. It is well known that the price in blood paid by the people of Râmnicu Vâlcea for the country’s independence in 1877 was particularly high and, together with the sacrifices of other Romanians, laid the foundations of modern Romania. In honour of these heroes, an imposing monument was erected at the foot of Capela Hill, which has become a symbol of the town: The Statue of Independence, the work of the sculptor Ion Iordănescu, supported by a participant in that war, Dr Gheorghe Sabin, who went on to become prefect of Vâlcea 7.
The history of Capela Hill is also closely linked to the sports of bobsleigh and tobogganing, as Romania’s first bobsleigh run, nearly 3.5 km long, was built here. It began at the ‘Boul de Piatră’ and ran as far as the site of today’s Sports Hall, having been frozen using water brought by ox-drawn carts to the top of Capela Hill 10. In 1923, the first National Bobsleigh Championship was held in Râmnicu Vâlcea. The newspaper Crainicul* reported the following: “The great National Bobsleigh Competition took place on Capela Hill in Râmnicu Vâlcea on 29 January 1933”23. Moreover, in 1936, the Municipal Council appointed Mr Iorgu Arsenie, representing the Local Tourist Office, to oversee the modernisation works on the bobsleigh run on Capela Hill. In this regard, the Municipal Technical Service noted in Letter No. 89/8 February 1938 to the Chairman of the Interim Commission of the City of Râmnicu Vâlcea that: “The ski jump on Capela Hill was built in the autumn of 1936 using materials provided by the town hall and in accordance with the instructions of Mr Iorgu Arsenie, as the sports representative of the Tourist Office.” Unfortunately, the bobsleigh and sledge competitions only took place until around 1948–1949; the organisers of these local competitions were Mr Jean Pașek and teachers Darie and Trincă 17. They continued until 1967, when the last race took place, after which the track was closed 10.
Râmnicu Vâlcea Town Hall has now taken possession of the feasibility study for the development of the forest park on Capela Hill: 38.8 hectares, out of a total area of 46.5 hectares, which came into the municipality’s possession through a legislative act 24. The main considerations taken into account when drawing up the study were to minimise invasive intervention and to enhance the visitor experience without damaging the ecosystem. Consequently, it is proposed to install, over a total area of 115.5 square metres, three pavilion-platforms for recreational activities, an open-air amphitheatre/educational platform, two gazebos and a viewing point 25.
The hill that symbolises the municipality of Râmnicu Vâlcea, around which the town was built, is being transformed into Romania’s newest forest park. A total of over 7.5 million euros will be invested in the development of 46.5 hectares 26.
On Tuesday, 14 May 2024, the works carried out as part of the Dealul Capela Forest–Park project were officially handed over! The works carried out as part of the ‘Dealul Capela Forest–Park’ project were accepted following a thorough inspection by a team comprising representatives from the ‘Marin Dracea’ National Institute for Research and Development in Forestry Pitești (the author of the study on which the project was based), the construction company, the Forestry Guard, Piețe Prest, as well as specialists from the City Council, coordinated by public administrator Eusebiu Vețeleanu. Following the checks, no shortcomings were found in the implementation of this project. As part of the investment, which focused solely on the 38.8-hectare rural area of the total 46.5-hectare site on Capela Hill – which came into the Municipality’s possession via Government Decision No. 133/2022 – a pavilion with a viewing platform, two gazebos, two amphitheatre-style pavilions, three platforms for various activities, 35 benches, 10 table sets with two benches, three information boards, 40 signposts and directional signs, and a container with four modules for the separate collection of waste 27.
- 1a1b1c
Capela Hill, undemergem.ro.
- 2a2b2c2d2e
Capela Hill and the history of Râmnic. ziaruldevalcea.ro.
- 3
Admin, Capela Hill, once the symbol of Râmnicu Valcea, now a haven for stray dogs and the homeless – Ramnicu Valcea Week.
- 4
Râmnicu Vâlcea City Council – Geographical Location of Râmnicu Vâlcea. primariavl.ro.
- 5a5b5c5d5e5f
Râmnicu Vâlcea. ro.wikipedia.org.
- 6a6b6c6d6e6f
Ibid.
- 7a7b7c7d
Râmnicu Vâlcea, valceaturistica.ro.
- 8
Admin, op. cit.
- 9
Ibid. The secret prison and the tunnel beneath Capela Hill in Râmnicu Vâlcea – ramnicuvalceaweek.ro.
- 10a10b10c10d
Vâlcea National Centre for Tourism Information and Promotion, 24 September 2021.
- 11
Admin, The Secret Prison…
- 12
Kandy Reisenauer, ‘The Stone Ox’ is waiting for us to ‘hike’ out to it, curierulderamnic.ro.
- 13
Petre Drăgoiescu, Râmnicul Vâlcii (1944).
- 14
admin, op. cit.
- 15
Part I, by Alex Antohid, printed by Stengel – Dresden and Berlin, a workshop specialising in artistic photography, engraving, lithography and printing, September 1901.
- 16
Professor I. Simionescu, Cities of Romania with 80 Illustrations, ‘Cartea românească’, Bucharest, 1925, pp. 211–214.
- 17a17b
Capela Hill and the history of Râmnic, ziaruldevalcea.ro.
- 18a18b
The Archiepiscopal Cathedral, arhiepiscopiaramnicului.ro.
- 19
Admin, Capela Hill, once the symbol of Râmnicu Valcea…, Ramnicu Valcea Week.
- 20
Fortification projects in Oltenia, ‘Arhiva Olteniei’. Year VII, nos. 37–38, May–August 1928, p. 251.
- 21
Admin, ‘The Secret Prison and the Tunnel beneath Capela Hill in Râmnicu Vâlcea’, on ramnicuvalceaweek.ro.
- 22
admin, Capela Hill, once the symbol of Râmnic…
- 23
Volume I, No. 3, 11 February 1933, p. 3.
- 24
Government Decision No. 133 of 27 January 2022.
- 25
Mariana Butnariu, Vâlcea: The forest park on Capela Hill is taking shape – GAZETA de SUD.
- 26
Ibid., The paradox of a forest-park: 80 per cent of the area has been developed using a tiny fraction of the €7.5 million budget, adevarul.ro.
- 27
Râmnicu Vâlcea Town Hall, Development work in the Dealul Capela Park area, culturaarsmundi.ro.